The Old Venus, that is. You know, the steamy, swampy Venus of the SF pulps, with its web-footed Venusians (Venerians), teeming jungles, dinosaurs, and those infamous dens of inquity in Venusburg. The Venus of Leigh Brackett, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Roger Zelazny, C.L. Moore, and Isaac Asimov.

Those who miss the place (like me) will be able to return there next spring. OLD VENUS, an original anthology of retro-SF stories set upon the lost Venus of old, will be released by Bantam Spectra in hardcover on March 3, 2015. We just got our first look at the cover:

The final lineup:

INTRODUCTION, by Gardner DozoisFROGHEADS, by Allen M. SteeleTHE DROWNED CELESTRIAL, by Lavie TidharPLANET OF FEAR, by Paul McAuleyGREEVES AND THE EVENING STAR, by Matthew HughesA PLANET CALLED DESIRE, by Gwyneth JonesLIVING HELL, by Joe HaldemanBONES OF AIR, BONES OF STONE, by Stephen LeighRUINS, by Eleanor ArnasonTHE TUMBLEDOWNS OF CLEOPATRA ABYSS, by David BrinBY FROGSLED AND LIZARDBACK TO OUTCAST VENUSIAN LEPERS, by Garth NixTHE SUNSET OF TIME, by Michael CassuttPALE BLUE MEMORIES, by Tobias S. BuckellTHE HEART'S FILTHY LESSON, by Elizabeth BearTHE WIZARD OF THE TREES, by Joe R. LansdaleTHE GODSTONE OF VENUS, by Mike ResnickBOTANICA VENERIS: THIRTEEN PAPERCUTS BY IDA COUNTESS RATHANGAN, by Ian McDonald

If you enjoyed OLD MARS (our Locus Award nominee from last year), you'll like this one even better, I think... and there's one story in there that's so bloody good that if it doesn't win the Hugo and Nebula both, I'll count it as a major injustice. Which one? Ah, I will leave you guys to figure that out. But first you'll need to read the book.